Meet Chris Van Vliet | TV Host & Podcaster

We had the good fortune of connecting with Chris Van Vliet and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chris, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I was always dumbfounded by the idea that if you a job with a salary, you get paid the exact same amount whether you work your ass off or barely do enough to get by. I never thought that made any sense. So I took the things I was passionate about and looked for ways to monetize them.

We’ve all heard the old adage “Do something you love and you’ll never work a day in your life”. As cheesy as it sounds, it’s true. While you are still working every day, you’re working to grow your own business and there’s something that is uniquely fulfilling about that, especially when you are surrounded by people who also love what they do.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I have had a deep love of broadcasting that goes all the way back to when I was 4-years old. I was gifted a Fisher Price tape recorder and I would pretend to be a radio host. I’m sure my mom still has those cassettes somewhere! I’ve always had a passion for storytelling and performing and I loved being able to be in front of a crowd whether it was acting in a play or doing the morning announcements in high school.

I majored in Communication Studies in college and I had an epiphany in my senior year where it hit me that after graduation, we would have to work for the next 40-50 years. I decided in that moment that I didn’t want to be one of those people who hated their job and I did everything I could to stack the odds in my favor that I could work in an industry that I was passionate about. I volunteered at radio and TV stations, did internships and worked overnight shifts just to get my foot in the door. I began to define success as being excited for what the day holds for you and then being proud of what you’ve accomplished at the end of the day. And that’s still how I define success.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I feel SO incredibly grateful that we live in California. There is an endless amount of things to do here and the idea that you can surf and ski in the same day is a very real thing. Since most of my friends are coming from somewhere cold (like my family in Canada), a trip to the beach is an absolute must no matter what time of the year it is.

I love doing something active every day, so an early morning hike in Griffith Park or to The Wisdom Tree is a must for any visitors and anyone visiting LA needs to see the Hollywood sign. From there, we’d hop in the car and drive up the coast to Malibu. It’s such a special place that feels like you’re on vacation even though you’re only 30ish minutes from the hustle and bustle of the city.

After that we’d grab dinner near the water followed of course by a sunset over the Pacific Ocean!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Ron Johnston at CHEX-TV in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada was the first person to ever take a chance on me. In my senior year of college, I looked all over the Internet for the email addresses of people who ran TV stations and radio station to see if I could somehow convince them to give me an internship. Ron was the only person that got back to me and while it wasn’t something they commonly did at the time, he offered me an internship. I drove an hour each way to that internship and after 3 months, it turned into a job and I got my first break on TV! Thank you Ron!

Website: www.chrisvanvliet.com

Instagram: instagram.com/ChrisVanVliet

Twitter: twitter.com/ChrisVanVliet

Facebook: facebook.com/ChrisVanVliet

Youtube: youtube.com/ChrisVanVliet